It's official!

What is it about hotel rooms? Bree learned to crawl in one, and now baby brother Ben is walking!

photo time

Tell me, which do you like the best?

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read this book out loud to my second grade class. I found a copy in our school library and was happy to see that is was not abridged. The original is so much better than the Disney movie. Getting to know the real Tinkerbell, sharing Peter's love of adventure, sympathizing with Wendy once she had grown up and saw the yearning in her own daughter's eyes to escape to the Neverland while knowing she could no longer go with her. This book moved me in many ways. It was written over one hundred years ago and at times was a read-aloud challenge for me, language has changed so much through the years and I never know how much to stop and explain, or if I should just continue. I usually continue. I feel that it was an excellent novel to expose my students to even with the vocabulary and language piece, or maybe even because of it. Some days it was harder for the kids to stick with me than others, but when we got to the last chapter all of us were riveted. It is a timeless story, fair to the dilemma of growing up vs. remaining a child. Genius. Magical.

(From the last chapter)
"Why can't you fly now, mother?
Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way.
Why do they forget the way?
Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly."



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ben is ten, and eleven months old!

Me and my boy when he was only ten months old.

So big! 11 months

This time around with Ben I knew better, the first year would fly by like a daredevil three -year-old on her new bike. So why am I still feeling so caught off guard? There is something to knowing that he is my last baby that makes it feel a bit more... final. The cuddly little baby boy is asserting his independence in a big way these past weeks. He is happiest in the high chair when he has finger foods and can do it himself. After weeks of "creeping", walking along the couch or the wall with something to hold on to, he spent a day at his Grandpa's house and learned how to take three whole steps on his own. Most recently, he has discovered that he can go from sitting to standing and actually balance there - which brings a huge smile to his precious face. Eight teeth - four on the top and four on the bottom - and we have progressed to more table  and big boy food. Still, no one can make him laugh like his big sister can. Last night she was blowing on his belly to the delight of them both. The giggles were contagious. Stairs have been no problem now that Ben became adept and turning around and crawling down them backwards, and he pretty much has the run of the house. So bring it on April 17th, we have a big boy birthday to celebrate!

getting there

This is how Ben gets around. He has actually progressed to taking steps without holding on/touching anything, but that is proving harder to capture.Love the big boom as there were no tears!

a self portrait

This time when Bree got ahold of my camera she decided she wanted to do a self-portrait.

family spaghetti night

It appears that Bree's favorite dinner - spaghetti - has another fan.
And really - bibs are overrated. 

Imagination Celebration!

This picture makes me laugh - look at her eyes! 

My coworker Megan and I had so much fun on a field trip with our 2nd graders that we decided to bring our own kids to the evening performance of Jumpin’ Jazz — A Swinging Jungle Tale. The musical was part of the Imagination Celebration’s Over the Moon Family Theater production and was held at the Pikes Peak Center. Bree and Caydon had a ball in their pajamas decorating masks and partaking in the preperformance activities, but the real fun was the show. We got to dance in the aisles and enjoy a brilliant jazz performance - complete with milk and cookies in the lobby afterward. Looking forward to next years Celebration!

little valentines

While mommy and daddy were working on Valentine's Day, the kids were partying with friends!